House Florent (Bitter End)
'House Florent' Ruler: Lord Paramount Harrald 'Half-Hand' of the Reach Heir: Prince Godwyn House Florent has long been sworn to House Tyrell, but is known to chafe at its bonds, claiming and keeping a superior line of descent from House Gardener than that of the Tyrells. They say, if a man has Florent blood, his dreams will be haunted by this desire; Likewise, they say that when the men of House Florent desire something, it grows within them like a fire, a fire that no man can control. Lord Desmond (8210-8246AL) House Florent was rocked with the death of Lord Desmond Florent in 8246. His wife, the Lady Olenna Redwyne, had pushed Lord Desmond to be more ambitious, forcing him into tournaments that were beyond his skill, and in 8244, Lord Desmond was greviously wounded by Ser Ronnel Graceford, and within a year and a half, Lord Desmond died of his wounds. Lord Alester (8234-8250AL) Upon hearing of his father's death, Lord Desmon's firstborn son Alester Florent returned home and took his rightful seat as Lord of Brightwater. Still a child of 13 years old, Lord Alester lacked the political tact of his late father, and his remarks about House Tyrell quickly brought their fury against House Florent. Lord Alester, having attempted to press his uncle's claim to the Lordship of Blueburn, was demanded to end his war against House Meadows, which he complied with much to his uncle's chagrin. However, Lord Denys Tyrell, sensing that perhaps Lord Alester meant to continue his war at a later date, kidnapped Lord Alester and placed him in the dungeons of Highgarden. Lord Alester, being a competent fighter, demanded a trial by combat under the Seven, which Lord Denys refused. This drew the attention of the Lords of the realm, and multiple demands for Lord Alester's release were levied against the Tyrells, who instead in a fit of rage executed Lord Alester Florent. Lord Paramount Axell 'the Defiant' (8236-8300AL) His murder at the hands of Lord Denys raised his younger brother, Axell Florent, as Lord of Brightwater. Hearing of his brother's murder, Lord Axell raised his banners and declared war against his liegelord the Tyrells. Appealing to his late brother's ward father, Lord Gerold Lannister, Axell fortified Brightwater and waited - for he lacked the strength to tackle the Tyrell hosts alone. Word of Lord Alester Florent's unjust execution sped throughout the realm however, and soon Lord Axell recieved ravens from multiple Lord Paramounts offering to assist in the war - chief among them Lyonel 'the Laughing Storm' Baratheon, who was enraged that a Godly man such as himself would be denied a fair trial and then executed without cause. The war against Lord Denys was quickly won with the assistance of the lords Lannister and Baratheon, and Lord Denys abdicated in favour of his heir Lord Luthor 'the Slow' Tyrell. House Florent's woes were not over however, and almost immediately upon his father's abdication, Lord Luthor attempted again to imprison Lord Axell Florent, claiming that Lord Axell was attempting to have him murdered. The incessant attacks upon House Florent by the Tyrells was drawing the ire of the new king, however, and in an effort to maintain the peace in the south, he demanded a cessation of aggression by the Tyrells against the Florents, and the abdication of Lord Luthor Tyrell to his son Willas, a boy of just 6 years. The Tyrells grudgingly agreed, and the war ended without any further bloodshed. Fearing that he would lack the strength to defend against the Tyrells should they attack again, Lord Axell sought to press his lawful claim to the shield isle of Oakenshield, so that if Tyrell forces again marched into Florent lands, he would possess a navy that he could send his family away on to safety. However, this was overruled by Lord Willas Tyrell's regent, the Lady Alys Arryn, who demanded the imprisonment of Lord Axell. Given his brother's treatment in the hands of the Tyrells, Lord Axell was forced again to raise his banners against the Tyrells. Calling his allies again - Lord Crane of Redlake, Lord Hosman of Tumbleton, and the Lady Rohanne Webber of Coldmoat, Lord Axell marched north. He was caught by Tyrell forces near Horn Hill though, and losses were heavy on the Florent side. Hearing again of the continued attacks upon House Florent, the new Targaryen king withdrew his protection of the Tyrells, seeking to let the realm decide what should be done with them. The realm quickly responded, and Lannister and Baratheon forces entered the Reach to assist the beleagured Florents. Ironborn under the command of Quellon Greyjoy also landed in Highgarden to assist the Tyrells, and a number of battles were fought between the two sides. Heavy losses were inflicted by the Lannister host in the Riverlands, but in turn were taken by the Lannisters as they engaged the Ironborn host near the Rose Road. Linking together with the diminished Florent host and its Reach allies, the forces of Lyonel Baratheon and Axell Florent laid siege to Highgarden in 8260. Sensing that the war had turned against him, Lord Willas Tyrell laid down his arms and surrendered the Reach to Axell Florent, who promptly revoked the Lordship of Highgarden and took it as his seat - his claim of descent from the Gardener kings of old producing little resistance to the idea. Lord Axell quickly began a rapid reorginization of Reach lands amoung the High Lords of the realm, delegating greater powers to his trusted vassals, and raising old titles that hadn't existed for generations. He named House Fossoway as Lords of Mandervale, House Roxton as the High Lord of the Ring, and restored House Orgrey to their ancient title as Lords of the Northmarch. His own son he granted lordship over the Rose Road, and to one of House Florent's most trusted servants, the master at arms of Brightwater Ser Alyn Hayford, the Shield Isles were granted. Lord Axell would be further elevated by his appointment by the young King Mahaelys to Hand of the King, but the position would not be kept by him for long. Tensions erupted between House Stark and House Greyjoy, and Lord Axell was tasked with keeping the King's peace. For the slaying of Lord Brandon Karstark, Lord Axell demanded the arrest and trial of Quellon 'Half-Hand' Greyjoy, but before the Greyjoy lord arrived, the King Mahaelys (or his regent), named Lord Steffon Baratheon's heir to the Kingsguard without consulting first with the Lord of Storm's End. This infuriated the Baratheons, and as their most ardent ally, Lord Axell resigned from his position as Hand of the King and returned to Highgarden. The tensions between house Stark and Greyjoy would come to a head in 278AL, as the Starks called their banners are marched south with their ally the Tullys to bring Quellon Greyjoy to justice. Ravens were recieved in Highgarden, and Lord Axell, wishing a quick end to the fued, joined with the Starks and raised his own men and navy and attacked the Ironborn on their home isles. 40,000 Reachmen linked together with 20,000 northerners and 10,000 Rivermen quickly smashed aside the Ironborn armies, and Lord Axell's heir, Ser Ector Florent, distinguished himself notably, leading the Reach armies to victory. Peace returned to the realm in short order, and Lord Axell returned to Highgarden with news that his son's wife had given birth to yet another son who displayed the noted Florent ears. Lord Axell Florent's line was secure, with 3 trueborn sons, and his firstborn Ser Ector celebrating his battlefield victories and the birth of his fourth son Axell, named after his father. Shortly thereafter, the Starks completed their conquest of the Iron Isles and raised his brother, Lord Beron Stark, as the new lord of the Ironborn. The conflict in the Iron Isles would never be resolved in Lord Axell's lifetime however, and in 8299AL the King proclaimed that the Isles should be given to House Harlaw, a move which forced the Stark's hand, resulting in their declaration of independence, and naming of Larence Stark 'the Stammerer' as King of the North. With the Hand of the King, Lord Gerold Lannister, backing the King's decision, the situation looked bleak for the northerners and their Tully allies, but as Lord Stark's own sister had been wed to Axell Florent for many years, and borne him countless sons and daughters, the bond between House Stark and House Florent was strong, and so the men of the Reach once again marched to war. Lord Axell would never see the end of the war though, as he died in the early days of the campaign, organizing the Reach forces in Tumbleton and the Rose Road. King Ector (8252 - 8303) His son, Lord Ector Florent was raised as the new Lord of the Reach. Lord Ector was a proven battlefield commander, and quickly ushered the Reach forces together and marched on King's Landing, smashing aside the Dornish and Crownland armies and driving them North into the waiting Riverland armies. Lord Ector then returned to Highgarden oweing to his rapidly failing health - which some whispered was the result of a poisoning attempt against the new Lord of Highgarden. Nonetheless, the Reach forces continued their sieges across the Crownlands, and soon King's Landing itself had fallen to Reach forces, whereupon they heard word that Lannister forces under the command of the Hand of the King, Lord Gerold Lannister, were marching against Highgarden. The Reach armies quickly rushed home along the Rose Road, and fearing their relief of Highgarden, the westermen armies assaulted Highgarden, taking heavy losses and destroying much of the ancient keep's defenses, but their primary goal eluded them - as Lord Ector had made a daring escape through the sewers beneath the castle and out to freedom. Reunited with the Reach armies, and reinforced by Tully and Stark forces, Lord Ector led his men against the Lannister host at Smallwood and delivered a crushing blow, capturing a number of noble lords of the Westerlands, and drawing a bloody end to the war for Northern Independence. With the Crown's forces in ruin, its soldiers slain and lords captured, the allies of Ector Florent quickly reformed the Kingdoms of old - The Kingdom of the North, with its Tully allies, and The Kingdom of Stormgarden, with its Baratheon allies. Ector was not fated to rule for long, like his father. In 8303, only a single year after the new Kingdom of Stormgarden was born admidst the bloody ground of Smallwood, Ector passed in his bed at Nightsong, the new capital of Stormgarden. The throne passed to his eldest son, Prince Harrald, who had been wounded greivously during the war. Lord Harrald 'Half Hand' (8271 - Harrald assumed the throne of his father and ruled the Kingdom of Stormgarden for many years, the only major conflict coming as his heir, Prince Randyll, was discovered to be plotting the murder of his father to assume his title and was thus subsequently banished to the Night's Watch for his treasonour plotting. King Harrald's greatest desire was peace thouh, even going so far as to reject the counsel of his vassals that urged him to declare war against the Iron Throne while they were weak. Harrald, honorable to a fault, had seen enough young men of the Reach die in the previous war to want to march again against the Targaryen king. Inevitably however, the realm soon came into conflict as the King Mahaelys declared war against the King in the North, King Lawrence 'the Stammerer'. Tied by marriage to the Starks, King Harrald honoured the wolves' call to arms, and for more than a year faced off against the Lannister and crown forces on the border of the Stormlands. The royal forces, their hand forced by the cost of maintaining such a large force and increasing protests from its vassal lords, moved south in force against the men of Stormgarden, and a massive battle was fought in the province of Amberly, the royal forces spurred on by the sheer force of numbers and the King's dragon - Nightpyre. Despite the advantages presented to the Crown, Stormgarden forces were on the verge of victory, the Crown's flanks crippled, and 50,000 allied Northmen and Rivermen about to join the battle. However, Lord Lyonel Baratheon, whether through sheer incompetence or betrayal, struck his banners and fled from the battle, causing huge gaps within the Stormgarden ranks, and allowing the royalist forces to surge forward and take the day. The battle lost, Lord Baratheon quickly abandoned his liege and switched to the Targaryen side. King Harrald, his army crippled and facing the combined Lannister and Targaryen forces, wisely bent the knee in exchange for his head and retention of the paramouncy of the Reach. The war was lost, and with it the Kingdom of Stormgarden melted quietly away into the night.